Survey Research on e-Learningin Asian Countries - Fiscal Year 2002
(Country Specific Report - Singapore)- Table of Contents 1. Market: Market Trends of e-Learning..........................................................................................1
1.1 Status of IT Promotion (Centered on the Internet).................................................................1
1.1.1 Outline of the Internet .....................................................................................................1
1.1.2 Outline of ISP .................................................................................................................1
1.2 Status of Education and Training System..............................................................................2
1.2.1 Higher Education ............................................................................................................2
1.2.2 Vocational Education ......................................................................................................3
1.3 IT Human Resources Required.............................................................................................4
1.3.1 Outline of IT Human Resources .....................................................................................4
1.3.2 Outline of IT Human Resource Education ......................................................................4
1.4 E-Learning Market Trends.....................................................................................................5
1.4.1 Outline of e-Learning Industry ........................................................................................5
1.4.2 Market Size of e-Learning ..............................................................................................6
2. Technology: Trends of e-Learning System (Synchronous & Asynchronous)...............................8
2.1 National University of Singapore (NUS) ................................................................................8
2.1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................8
2.1.2 Activities Related to e-Learning ......................................................................................8
2.2 Nanyang Technological University (NTU)..............................................................................92.2.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................92.2.2 Activities Related to e-Learning ......................................................................................9
2.3 Singapore Management University (SMU).......................................................................... 11
2.3.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 11
2.3.2 Activities Related to e-Learning .................................................................................... 11
2.4 Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) ............................................................................................ 11
2.4.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 11
2.4.2 Activities Related to e-Learning .................................................................................... 11
2.5 Civil Service College ...........................................................................................................122.5.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................122.5.2 Activities Related to e-Learning ....................................................................................12
2.6 Temasek Polytechnic (TP) ..................................................................................................122.6.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................122.6.2 Activities Related to e-Learning ....................................................................................12
2.7 NTUC Income .....................................................................................................................132.7.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................132.7.2 Activities Related to e-Learning ....................................................................................13
2.8 CityCab ...............................................................................................................................132.8.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................13i2.8.2 Activities Related to e-Learning ....................................................................................13
3. Advanced Activities...................................................................................................................14
3.1 Next Generation Learning Infrastructure such as Collaborative Learning ...........................14
3.2 Quality Standard .................................................................................................................143.2.1 Quality Criteria for e-Learning Courseware ..................................................................143.2.2 Recommended Processes for e-Learning Courseware Development ..........................15
4. Government Policy and its Vision (Mid- and Long-term Direction)............................................16
4.1 Status of IT Policies.............................................................................................................16
4.1.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................16
4.1.2 Policies and its Details..................................................................................................16
4.2 E-Learning Related Measures as Part of IT or Educational Policies ...................................174.2.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................17
4.2.2 Policies and its Details..................................................................................................20
4.2.3 E-Learning Related Organizations................................................................................21
4.3 Laws Regulating Rights for Intellectual Property and Personal Information in e-Learning ..23
4.3.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................23
4.3.2 Laws and its Details......................................................................................................23
4.4 Vision ..................................................................................................................................24
4.4.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................24
4.5 International and National Conference................................................................................25ii

1. Market: Market Trends of e-Learning
1.1 Status of IT Promotion (Centered on the Internet)
1.1.1 Outline of the Internet
The government of Singapore addresses itself to various IT strategies, aiming to become a
hub in Asia by way of transition to knowledge-based industry structure and of invitation ofmulti-national enterprises. Domestic infrastructures are highly developed. Internet connection
is available in almost any household, with its penetration rate per population (4,018,000
population as of year 2000) being on the top level in the world.
Statistics announced by Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) in 2002 show that theInternet penetration rate has increased by 10 times during six years, from 4.6% in January
1997 to 48.0% in December 2002. Because of the government policy of liberalization ofcommunications started from the end of 1999, which caused free Internet services to increase
dramatically, the Internet users increased by 1.6 times (from 583,000 to 956,000) during one
month from December 1999 in which those services were started, to January next year. By
February 2000, users increased by 2.9 times (from 583,000 to 1,692,000). Personal
computers are installed in almost all schools and libraries, as well as community centers andcommunity clubs, making it possible to use the Internet outside of homes or offices. In addition,
since the number of mobile phone users has increased to more than 77% of the population(as of December 2002), the actual Internet penetration rate might be higher than the abovementioned percentage, if the number of Internet users using those mobile phones is included.
In spite of such a rapid growth of Internet usage, domestic digital divide (disparity in
information) is still a serious concern. IDA research results show that 53% of the Singapore
population have no experience in computers. In this respect, especially people the aged, low
educated, or from low income class are said to show a higher percentage. On the other hand,the same results also show that many of those who have good experience in computers arefrom educated, young, English-speaking, and from high income class.
The government is, therefore, trying to improve IT literacy across the nation, by providing
low income households with free recycled computers or free mobile personal computer
courses (IT-COACH), as well as by launching "National IT Literacy Programme (NITLP)" inJune 2001. The "NITLP" is an e-Learning program, run by IDA, which enables people toacquire basic computer knowledge and Internet skills. The government plans to provide IT
technique courses to 350,000 people for the period of three years starting from 2001,
especially targeting at laborers, housewives, and aged people, with a budget of 30 million
Singapore dollars.

1.1.2 Outline of ISP
As of August 2001, 42 ISPs have joined in the Internet market of Singapore.
Singapore’s Internet connections had been monopolized by SigNet until 1995. However, asa result of governmental enforcement of communication liberalization, the market came to beshared by three companies; SigNet, Pacific Internet, and Cyberway. This status continued
until 1998. Subsequently, the number of ISPs soared according to deregulations in September
1999, in which the foreign equity limits were lifted, and further liberalization in April 2000,
which resulted in the removal of the initial authorization fee.
Broadband connections began to spread among households around 2001. In response tothis situation, IDA announced quality standards regarding broadband accesses in October
2001.

1

According to the survey result announced by IDA in April 2002, the number of broadband
users is 957,800, which account for 34%, one in three Singapore residents aged 10 years andabove. The most popular method is ADSL (40%), which is generally used in homes or offices.
The most popular applications include e-mail (96%) or information retrieval and search (86%),
while about 15% of users make use of online banking or online shopping. Among broadband
users, 6% of them answered that they frequently use online videoconference systems, while
also 6% answered that they use online learning tools.

1.2 Status of Education and Training System
1.2.1 Higher Education
Higher education institutions in Singapore include universities and colleges, polytechnics,
Institute of Technical Education (ITE), National Institute of Education (NIE), Open University
Diploma Programme (OUDP), etc. To reinforce IT related education, more than 20 higher
education institutions are currently providing 75 or more courses, whose objectives range
widely from the acquisition of practical basic techniques to the study of leading technologies.
The results of the survey conducted by IDA in late 1999 show that 52% of IT industry workers
have a Bachelor’s degree as their highest educational qualification, while 14% have a
Master’s degree, 0.2% a Ph.D. About 30% are polytechnic diploma holders.
Singapore has three universities; National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), and Singapore Management University (SMU) established inAugust 2000. The first two universities are national institutions, and SMU is a private university.
Table 1-1 Overview of Universities in Singapore
NUS

Faculty

Seven faculties (Arts andSciences, Business, Dentistry,Engineering, Law, Medicine,
Science) and two schools(Computing, Design andEnvironment)

NTU

SMU

Seven schools (Business,
Two schools
Civil engineering, Computer(Business, Accountancy)
engineering, Information,
Electrical and electronicengineering, Materials
engineering, Mechanical andproduction engineering)
National Institute of Education
NIE is located within thepremises.

Remarks

Opened in August 2000.
(Singapore’s first private
university funded by thegovernment, after the modelof the Wharton School of the
University of Pennsylvania in
the US)

The rate of university graduates among the population was 1 out of 25 in 1990, which
increased to 1 out of 10 in 2000. In addition, the governmental expenditure per student has
also increased, with approximately 20 percent of the educational budget being allocated foruniversity education purposes.
Characteristics of Singapore’s universities lie in the fact that they are operated under theleadership of the government. Especially, large amounts of governmental funds are spent on
two national universities, to enable them to provide research results or human resources tosatisfy national needs. Each university is ready to build connections with leading educational
institutions overseas. The government set a goal to invite at least 10 European or North

2

American universities and colleges before 2008, and has already been successful in inviting
seven. Those leading universities and colleges include INSEAD from France, Johns Hopkins
University, The University of Chicago, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) fromthe USA.
NIE is an institution established within NTU, to provide four-year professional courses totrain school teachers. They confer the degrees such as Bachelor of Arts (Education), Bachelorof Science (Education), Bachelor of Arts (Physical education), and Bachelor of Science(Physical education). Additionally, they also offer a two-year course for polytechnic graduates,
and a one-year course for university graduates. The students are trained to be teachers at
primary or secondary schools.
OUDP stands for "Open University Degree Program", which is offered by the Singapore
Institute of Management (SIM) under the direction of the Ministry of Education (MOE). OUDP
is applying teaching methods that utilize multimedia materials.

1.2.2 Vocational Education
In Singapore, the official job training institutions for those who seek jobs are comprised ofpolytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE), both of which are under the jurisdictionof MOE. In principle, the training period is three years for polytechnics, and two years for ITE.
The equivalents level of ITE may be equivalent to that of industrial high, commercial high, or
job training schools, and the level of polytechnic to special vocational schools, if compared toJapanese schools.
Polytechnics are higher education institutions next to universities, whose aim is to train midlevel engineers. A diploma is given to polytechnic graduates.
There are four polytechnics as follows:- Nanyang Polytechnic- Ngee Ann Polytechnic- Temasek Polytechnic- Singapore Polytechnic
Their courses address engineering, business, mass communication, marketing, graphic,
product & interior design, and computer training, while they offer high level lectures focusedon real life situations.
Meanwhile, ITE is an educational institution to provide training on techniques andknowledge to those new graduates from secondary schools and adult workers, in order tomeet the needs of various industrial fields. Training is offered as a full-time regular programand an apprentice system program to new graduates, and as "Continuing Education andTraining (CET) program" to workers. Besides providing job training, ITE also runs "National
Technical Certificate System (NTC System)". There are 10 Technical Institutes in Singapore,
which are operated by ITE, and are classified as ITE East or ITE West depending on where
the campus is located.
Each ITE training schools provides different job training courses, including a full-time course,
apprentice (trainee) course, which runs in cooperation with enterprises, and a skill improvement
course for workers.
A skill improvement course for workers constitutes a part of "CET Program" operated by thegovernment, and was started to help those workers enhance their skills and knowledge and toprovide them with training opportunities. This course contains training for basic knowledge,
Industry-Based Training (IBT), and customized skill training, and "Certified OJT Centre(COJTC) Plan" is also included in this course.

3

IBT approves the companies or training centers of industrial organizations as Approved
Training Centres (ATCs), if they satisfy ITE membership qualifications, and then thosecompanies or training centers offer training related to the ITE certifications. In customized skill
training, training programs specifically designed for enterprise employees are offered, basedon different requirements of enterprises. "COJTC Plan" is a new scheme started from April
1994, whose objectives are to encourage each enterprise to appreciate the importance of
training, and to recommend an appropriate OJT.
Basic Education for Skills Training (BEST) refers to basic education for skills training, andWorker Improvement through Secondary Education (WISE) refers to improvement of ability
through the education of secondary school level. In either case, the goal is to enhance theability in English and mathematics to a certain level.
Modular Skill Training (MOST), Training Initiative for Mature Employees (TIME), Adult
Cooperative Training Scheme (ACTS) are courses for skill training of adult workers.
MOST was started in 1986, and is now open in the evenings or on weekends as a sixmonth modular course. TIME is a special training program introduced in 1991, to enhancerequirements of job qualification for workers aged 40 or above. Unlike MOST, a language
other than English can be chosen to be used in the training course of TIME. TIME also allows
trainees to participate in training during the working hours. ACTS is a program to offer
fundamental job training for adult laborers having little skills.

1.3 IT Human Resources Required
1.3.1 Outline of IT Human Resources
According to the IDA survey (1999), 93,000 people are employed as IT skill workers in
Singapore, whereas approximately 250,000 are expected to be needed before 2010. This
figure is 2.5 times the total number of IT skill workers as of 1999. The survey results estimatethat the number of ICT workers will increase from 93,000 at the end of 1999 to 114,000 at theend of 2001, which is an increase of 10,000 each year (annual increase of approximately 1012%). Specifically, the increase is 47% for e-commerce, and 24% for Internet development.
About 50% of human resources are those who graduated from domestic higher educational
institutions, and the remaining half are foreigners recruited from overseas.
The IDA survey (2002) also shows that the human resource that is engaged in IT industry(IT human resource) in Singapore is approximately 105,600, which accounts for approximately
5% of the total worker population in Singapore. Much of this IT human resource is assigned to
Infocomm's sales and marketing departments (17.5%), followed by technical support & help
desk (16.7%) and application development & integration (16.6%).

1.3.2 Outline of IT Human Resource Education
Singapore has continuously developed innovative policies with respect to information
communication industry since the late 1970s, and addressed itself to education of IT related
human resources in accordance with governmental policies.
The primary governmental organizations that are responsible for IT human resources in
Singapore include IDA, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), and MOE.
IDA was established by integrating National Computer Bureau (NCB) and Telecommunications
Authority of Singapore (TAS) in 1999, and represents now a core organization for Singapore's
information communication policies. MOM is an organization to control human resource plans,
human resource development, working environments, welfares for workers, and supports forenterprises.

4

1.4

E-Learning Market Trends

1.4.1 Outline of e-Learning Industry
E-Learning industry in Singapore has been expanding itself supported by governmental
policies which involve government, academic and business sectors. The earliest starters of eLearning are the educational institutions including polytechnics and universities, withenterprises being ready to follow them. Institutions that are highly motivated to implement orprovide e-Learning are as follows:- Nanyang Technological University (NTU)- National University of Singapore (NUS)- E-Learning Competency Centre (ECC)- Polytechnics- Institute of Technical Education (ITE)- Institute of Systems Science- ASKnLearn.com Pte Ltd- Pacific Knowledge Platform Pte Ltd- Ednovation
There are approximately 66 e-Learning related companies operating in Singapore, and theiractivities can be categorized as (1) contents, (2) technology, and (3) services.
Table 1-2 Number of e-Learning Related Companies in Singapore by Specific Fields
Field

Number of companies(1) Contents
Course Publisher

28

Portal12(2) Technology
LMS

27

LGMS

32

Synchronous tools

22

Authoring Tools

27

Video-Audio Tools

18

Simulation Tools

7

Collaboration Tools

32

Testing Tools

27

Others15(3) Services
Custom Content

45Consulting

51

System Integration

40

Other

16

Note: There are duplications in case of companies handling multiple fields.
Source: E-Learning House Website

5

Major vendors are listed in the table below:
Table 1-3 Major e-Learning Vendors
Field of contents
PurpleTrainISS
ASPonline
SDCAsia
SmartForceNETg

Field of systems

Field of services

NCS
WizlearnCrimsonLogic
Saba
DocentIntraLearn

ICUS
KnowledgePlatform
SCS.TTSAsia
IKS
InkStudio
HP Education

Source: L. K. Chew (2002.7), a country report submitted to "AEN Conference 2002"

1.4.2 Market Size of e-Learning
The e-Learning market size in Singapore may be determined by the survey results
published by IDA in February 2003. According to the survey, the e-Learning market in
Singapore is equivalent to approximately 32 million US dollars as of 2002, and expected to
grow at an annual increase ratio of 45% and then, to reach approximately 106 million US
dollars, slightly more than threefold, in 2005.

(Unit: million dollars)$106.4

$73.5

$46.4
$32.5
$24.5

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Source: IDA (2003.2), Survey on the e-Learning Market of the region
Figure 1-1 Trends of e-Learning Market in Singapore

6(Year)

(Unit: million dollars)

$1

06

.43

$120.00

26%$100.00$60.00$19.12

26

%

16

%

$7

3

$80.003.5$27.68Service$18.0918%

Contents$13.23

22

$4

6.3

%

7

Technology

2

%
57

%

2.5
%

%

%

20

$3

$13.38$10.2056$60.66$41.17

%

54

%

56

%

$8.46

55

$7.05

$6.49

26

3
%
%

4.3

16

$3.90

29

$2

$20.00$9.74
22$40.00$25.97$17.56

$0.00
2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

(Year)

Source: IDA (2003.2) Survey on the e-Learning Market of the region
Figure 1-2 E-Learning Market in Singapore by Specific Fields

In view of specific fields, the contents field occupies slightly more than 50%, and thetechnology field slightly surpasses the service field in 2001, though the service field isanticipated to have grown larger than the technology field in 2005.
The government advocates that "Singapore will be a hub for e-Learning in Southeast Asia",
and is greatly interested in e-Learning markets in surrounding countries.

72. Technology: Trends of e-Learning System (Synchronous & Asynchronous)
Cases of e-Learning implementation in Singapore can be found primarily in activities inuniversities and polytechnics. Implementation by enterprise is said to have just begun.
In the following sections, activities in universities and polytechnics, and then cases of corporate
education are shown.

2.1 National University of Singapore (NUS)
http://www.nus.edu.sg/

2.1.1 Overview
NUS is the oldest university in Singapore.
NUS is a pioneer of development and usage of e-Learning technology, and is developing eLearning portal IVLE, distributing it to other educational institutions, and promoting distancetraining courses in the SMA program.
In NUS, the Center for Instructional Technology (CIT) is responsible for training and IT
technology. Facilities related to e-Learning in the campus include CIT/CC Auditorium,
Multimedia Development Lab, and SMART Classroom. Synchronous learning technology
which is now utilized includes videoconference systems, and asynchronous one includes
virtual learning, courseware creation tool IVLE, and network TV applications.
CIT/CC Auditorium and SMART Classroom are the classrooms equipped withvideoconference systems and various multimedia apparatus.

2.1.2 Activities Related to e-Learning(1) Synchronous learning technology and its usage
Since 1992, NUS has been delivering remote lectures using videoconference systems
which are capable of bi-directional communication. It is the first experiment in the nation.
NUS uses this system to ensure cooperation with both domestic and overseas educationaland research institutions, and is currently broadcasting lectures from other institutions, aswell as delivering NUS courses.
Two types of videoconference systems are used by NUS: Point-to-Point Videoconferencing
and Multipoint Videoconferencing. The former is for conferences connecting two locations,and the latter is for more than three locations from which every attendant can participate in thesame videoconference.
Using these facilities, NUS provides lectures linked with domestic and overseas researchand educational institutions. For example, there are programs connected with various
institutions such as John Hopkins University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, theEindhoven University of Technology, and the Pace University School of Law, as well as
NUS Singapore-MIT Alliance Programme (SMA: details are described later) with MIT.
(2) Asynchronous learning technology and its usage(a) "Integrated Virtual Learning Environment (IVLE)" and "Open IVLE"
NUS started experimental use of e-Learning technology on HTML-based Web pages in
December 1996. This system was named "IVLE" in July 1997, and was further upgraded
and released by CIT as version 1.0 in December 1998. The latest version as of the end of
2002 is Ver.7.0.
Currently, in 2,400 courses, 28,000 students are using "IVLE" to take advantage ofsuch features as discussion forums, online chats, and auto-marking tests, and teachers
are also using various tools. By using IVLE, the students can view the latest lectures
regardless of location and time, and the teachers can add the lecture materials, improve
the quality of communication with students, and be more time efficient.

8

"IVLE" was given e-NNOVATOR Awards in September 2000, and made an appearancein e-Learning exhibition "Online Learning Asia" in May 2001. In "ITSC Plugfest 2002" in2002, it passed three tests, IMS Metadata, IMS Content Packaging, and IMS Question
and Test Interoperability, and was awarded a prize.
Furthermore, the configuration utilizing Internet Information Server and Microsoft SQL
server 2000 is highly applicable for many purposes, and from Version 3.0, IVLE wasmade open to the public as "OpenIVLE". Versions 3.0 and 4.0 were released to
OpenIVLE Scheme in June 1999. These versions are made available to colleges in thePhilippines and others at no cost.
(b) "NUSCast (using both synchronous and asynchronous learning technologies together)""NUSCast" is a network TV application operated by CIT, and consists of six channels;
BBC, CNN, CNBC, Discovery, Channel News Asia, and NUSLive. It allows them tobroadcast educational programs and lectures over the Internet or intranet.
Among the six channels, NUSLive is a channel owned by NUS, and is used to deliver
campus events, NUS lectures, and open lectures. Delivered contents include video andaudio, while they are also designed to handle presentation materials in PPT format or
lecture notes synchronously. All these contents are saved through Multimedia On
Demand (MOD), to allow them to be replayed over the Internet or intranet.

2.2 Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
http://gemsweb.ntu.edu.sg/igems/public.htm

2.2.1 Overview
NTU was established in 1991 as the nation's second university. Its previous organization
was called Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI), established in 1981. NTU has such faculties
as accountancy, applied science (computer engineering and material engineering), business,
communications, and technology (civil engineering, electric engineering, and mechanicalengineering), and it also has graduate schools. There are 16,000 students in these faculties,
and 7,000 in graduate schools. NIE moved into the NTU campus at the end of 2000, andprovides courses for pedagogy, linguistics, and psychology.
In NTU, Centre for Educational Development (CED) is in charge of e-Learning promotion
planning. Under the control of Steering Executive on Electronic Education (SEED), which is
CED's superior e-Learning committee, CED is working at planning, operation, and technicalsupport for entire e-Learning systems. It also provides teachers with seminars for usage of eLearning, and offers support for content creation. Communication infrastructures within thecampus are managed by Centre for IT Services (CITS).

2.2.2 Activities Related to e-Learning(1) Synchronous learning technology and its usage
NTU owns more than one videoconference systems, dedicated classroom, and recording
studio.
Similar to NUS, it receives and delivers lectures which are relevant to the distancelearning program allied with MIT (SMA).
(2) Asynchronous learning technology and its usage(a) "edveNTUre"NTU has been testing WBT systems since 1995, and currently uses Blackboard. This
product is a courseware management system from an American corporation, which isused by more than 3,300 organizations worldwide. For configuration of the software9

platform, Blackboard 5.5.1 Level 3 with Oracle 8.1.6i is used as a database management
system, and Apache as Web server. As for VOD and Web casting services, those from
SGI, HP, Microsoft, and Dell are used. However, certain steps will be followed in such a
way that Blackboard CourseInfo 4.0 will be employed for contents management anddelivery systems, and it will be upgraded to Blackboard 5.5 Level 3 in the following year.
When a decision was made on configuration of e-Learning platform, one year was
spent for preparations, before "edveNTUre" was installed in July 2000, at the cost of 1.1
million US dollars. It has enabled 19,000 students including those participating in distancelearning, and 3,000 staff to take advantage of e-Learning.
As of the end of March 2001, the courses made available online via "edveNTUre"
account for 51% of all NTU courses, and this percentage is reported to have kept increasing.
"edveNTUre" are characterized as follows:- Customization to attendants' pace
- Group learning outside classrooms- Online test with auto-marking function, and class management & evaluation tool
- Streaming of digital contents- Distance learning (distance learning program tied-up with MIT using SMARTClassroom)
After installing "edveNTUre", CED has been holding seminars and courses in which
their staff can participate, train them on it, and learn how to use it effectively. The programfor staff is called "edUtorium", which is also open to participants from other higher
educational institutions. Additionally, efforts were made to evolve support systems usinge-mail and other materials, resulting in the establishment of "Local Blackboard User Groupin Singapore" to help domestic Blackboard user organizations cooperate with each other.
NTU plans to further expand the e-Learning facilities mentioned above.
It will first upgrade the content management and delivery system from Blackboard
CourseInfo 4.0 to Blackboard 5.5 Level 3. "edveNTUre" and student information systems
will be completely integrated into a single system, and student management jobs will be
automated. Thus, when a student logs in to a campus portal site with his/her own ID andpassword, he/she can access all necessary services.
After installation of "edveNTUre" in July 2000, efforts have been continued to develop
technical tools to support teachers who prepare contents or delivery processes, and thefollowing systems are implemented:- "iNTUition""iNTUition" is a synchronous training and learning tool with which you can monitor
lectures, meetings, seminars, and sessions run online by teachers.
- "preseNTUr""preseNTUr" facilitates creation of video presentations which may be displayed inparallel with PPT slides.
- "aNTUna""aNTUna" represents an initiative to promote e-Learning with aids of portable terminals
such as PDA, cellular phones, or laptop computers.
- "Respondus""Respondus" is a program for creating quizzes and questionnaires containing
numerical expressions or scientific symbols.
- "Secure Pack""Secure Pack" can be used to store PPT presentations and other materials into a file,
preventing other user or viewer from making alterations.

10

2.3 Singapore Management University (SMU)
http://www.smu.edu.sg/

2.3.1 Overview
SMU is the first private university in Singapore, founded in January 2000 and funded by thegovernment. It is modeled after the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the
US. It provides four faculties in the field of social science. There are 800 students in thesefaculties, and 90 in graduate schools.
Similar to other domestic universities, SMU also expresses its intention to attain an
educational environment fully powered by IT technologies. It installs, therefore, wirelesscommunication facilities supplied by National Computer Systems Pte Ltd. (NCS), as well as
multimedia applications, e-mail systems available during an entire life-time, and servers to run
personal Websites.
SMU and Wharton School entered a five-year agreement to establish a cooperative
relationship within the management, business, and financial fields.

2.3.2 Activities Related to e-Learning"SMUConnect", a system used as an SMU's teaching and learning portal, is created basedon CampusConnect 2000 from NCS. SMU's students and staff can use "SMUConnet" toaccess class lists, lecture plans, discussion forums, notifications, examination records, etc. A
web page is created for every lecture, where students or staff can communicate with eachother. A plan is under way to use VOD for lectures.

2.4 Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)
http://web.mit.edu/sma/

2.4.1 Overview"SMA Program" is a program aiming at cooperation among two universities in Singapore
and MIT in the USA in the fields of education and research. The program is financed throughthe support of the government of Singapore.

2.4.2 Activities Related to e-Learning
SMA is a program using both videoconference systems and WBT, and operated jointly by
the above-mentioned three universities. Approximately 200 students are learning using thisprogram.
The SMA program includes five technical courses. The number of teachers participating inthis program is 50 from MIT, 50 from NUS and NTU, while the number of students is 100 from
MIT, and 100 from NUS and NTU. 8-10 classes are held everyday on the average, and 10-16
subjects are offered during one term.
In principle, SMA classes are held in such environment where simultaneous and bidirectional communications among three universities are enabled, and where students andteachers can attend (thus, the lectures are open, in many cases, late in the evening or early inthe morning). Each university has set up classrooms equipped with videoconference systems,
allowing students to attend live lectures, communicate with teachers through videoconference
systems, and review lectures using electronic educational materials.

11

A lecture process is started by uploading lecture materials to the course Web site, which are
created by teachers and TA. Lecture materials include electronic presentations, lecture notes,
quizzes, and notifications. When lectures are delivered from remote learning classrooms
located in either of the two Singapore universities, they are automatically digitized and thensaved in the Website for the courses. Students make access to the uploaded lecture materials
and digitized lectures through their course pages. They can use such things as discussion
groups, course calendars, and previous lectures' details. All lectures can be replayed.

2.5 Civil Service College
http://www.ipamonline.com/

2.5.1 Overview
Civil Service College is a training facility established for Singapore public servants. There
are 120,000 public servants in Singapore, and training hours per person is reported to be 100
hours/year.

2.5.2 Activities Related to e-LearningThis college actively implements e-Learning, and has appointed six staff to take charge ofe-Learning, having its 2,000 staff attend training courses for e-Learning.
It opened Open Academy as an e-Learning portal site in July 2001, from which 220 eLearning courses (4-13 hours) are available to workers belonging to public services. Thoseorganizations which have participated from the early stage of Open Academy include various
departments within MOE.
Course vendors include those originating in the USA, such as SmartForce, NETg, andSkillSoft, while some courses are equipped with platforms using synchronous technology.

2.6 Temasek Polytechnic (TP)
http://www.tp.edu.sg/

2.6.1 Overview
TP is the third polytechnic in Singapore, established in April 1990. It offers more than 30 fulltime diploma courses, and has approximately 15,000 students.

2.6.2 Activities Related to e-Learning
TP has implemented training programs using e-Learning for teachers. The number ofteachers is 1,400. On average, a teacher takes 88 hours of lectures per year, and its costequals 4.7% of the total annual wages paid.
E-Learning programs are as follows:- Training & Independent Learning (TraIL): For staff- E-Learning support for Teaching Higher Education Certificate (THEC): For lecturer- Online Certificate in IT for Education (CITE): For lecturer
TraIL makes use of SmartForce online courses, and CITE uses Blackboard LMS. The
number of staff who make use of the above e-Learning is 363 for TraIL (number ofregistrations), 100 for THEC (number of registrations), 33 for CITE (23 finished and 5 droppedout). The cost for e-Learning training constitutes 3% of the entire training budget.

122.7 NTUC Income
http://www.income.com.sg/

2.7.1 Overview
NTUC Income is one of the four major insurance companies in Singapore, and sells mainly
union insurances. Number of employees is 800, and there are 4,500 insurance advisors.
Annual training hours per employee is 40, while annual training budget is 4% of annual total
amount for wages.

2.7.2 Activities Related to e-Learning
E-Learning is applied to employee training, in order to provide comprehensive courses, indiminishing restrictions on time and location. This company has started distributing simple
documents (including those describing "how-to") on intranet since 1995, and begun full eLearning courses starting from October 2001. Currently, one full-time staff is assigned tocoordinate e-Learning, to provide courses to 500 employees which corresponds to 62.5% of
all employees. The average number of e-Learning hours per staff is 10 each year, while thetotal number of hours up to the end of June 2002 was 3,500.
Courses provided include procedures to guide staff in their jobs, product knowledge, andpreparatory courses for professional examinations. Future directions include implementationof lectures using games or virtual classrooms, development of own courseware, offering of eLearning courses for 1 million policy holders, and the development of their own LCMS.
In order to encourage employees to use e-Learning, at least one PC for e-Learning isinstalled in each center, while e-Learning is made available both in office and home, in
addition to coordinators or supervisors who monitor usage of e-Learning.

2.8 CityCab
http://www.citycab.com.sg/

2.8.1 Overview
CityCab is the second biggest taxi company in Singapore which started business in July
1995, and has 10,000 taxi drivers, 5,000 vehicles, and 180 employees. The training budget
has increased by two times compared to the traditional amount, reaching approximately 1
million Singapore dollars.
CityCab is known to be an innovative company, that has introduced high-grade taxis first in
Singapore, and has created, at the cost of 20 millions Singapore dollars, "CityNet" which is ataxi dispatch system using satellites.

2.8.2 Activities Related to e-Learning
Corporate education in CityCab is operated using a Website for a Taxi Vocational License(VL) Course that was introduced in July 1999. Before implementing online courses, classroom
training courses of 90 hours had been offered for preparation of the license examination, and
2,000 drivers are currently using online courses.

13

3. Advanced Activities
3.1 Next Generation Learning Infrastructure such as Collaborative Learning
In Singapore, where they are committed to e-Learning in universities, both synchronous andasynchronous types are used at the same time. Collaborative learning comprises a part of thiscommitment.
For example, in "SMA Program", in order to encourage communication between teachers andstudents not only during lectures but also in other occasions, most advanced facilities are
installed to improve the quality of collaborative learning. NUS is also proceeding with adevelopment plan for a network type collaborative learning environment, called "Collaborative
Virtual Interactive Simulations (C-VISions) System".

3.2 Quality Standard
E-Learning Competency Centre (ECC) is positively considering implementing quality
standards to improve courseware quality, since e-Learning is considered important within
education/vocational training. It has already developed "Quality Criteria for e-Learning
Courseware" and "Recommended Processes for e-Learning Courseware Development". For
more information, refer to the "Quality Evaluation" page of the ECC Web site.
The Quality Control (QC) approach is taken in courseware quality criteria, and the Quality
Assurance (QA) approach is used in the criteria for processes of courseware development.
These two approaches complement each other, in aiming to help improve the quality of eLearning courseware.

3.2.1 Quality Criteria for e-Learning Courseware
The quality standard for e-Learning courseware is expected to be a guideline to enable endusers to select appropriate courseware by comparing one with another, as well as to be aguideline to enable vendors to develop e-Learning courseware. The standard is comprised ofthree elements; contents, usability, and instructional design.

1. Contents
コンテンツ

3. Instructional
Design
インストラクショナル・デザイン

1.1 Accuracy

3.1 Presentation

1.2 Completeness

3.2 Practice

1.3 Clarity

3.3 Feedback

1.4 Appropriateness

3.4 Assessment

1.5 Organization
Organisation

3.5 Engagement Techniques
3.6 Course Description

2. Usability
ユーザビリティ

3.7 Interactivity

2.1 Interface

3.8 Use of Media

2.2 Navigation

3.9 Use of Collaborative Tools

2.3 Technology

3.10 Learning Objectives at Unit Level

2.4 Learner Support

3.11 Adaptability

Source: ECC Website
Figure 3-1 Structure of e-Learning Courseware Quality Standard

143.2.2 Recommended Processes for e-Learning Courseware Development
Appraisal criteria for courseware development, which allows for better quality e-Learning
courseware to be developed, consists of the following five elements:

1. Analysis
分析(Analysis)
1.1 Needs
Needs Analysis
Analysis
1.1
1.2
1.2 Target
Target Audience
Audience Analysis
Analysis
1.3
1.3 Task
Task Analysis
Analysis
1.4
1.4 TechnicalTechnical Analysis
Analysis
Design (Design)
2. デザイン
2.1 SetSet Learning
Learning Objectives
Objectives
2.1
2.2
2.2 Determine
Determine Overall
Overall Learning
Learning
Strategy
Strategy
Strategy
2.3
2.3
DevelopCourseOutline2.3 Develop
Develop Course
Course Outline
Outline2.4 Develop Prototype
2.4 Develop
Develop Prototype
Prototype
2.4
2.5 Evaluate Prototype
2.5
2.5Evaluate
EvaluatePrototype
Prototype
3. 開発
Development
3.
(Development)
開発

3.3
3.3Programming
Programming
3.4 Quality Control
3.5 Field Testing

実行
4. 実行
(Implementation)
Implementation
4.1 Internal Marketing
4.2 Pilot
4.3 Rollout
Rollout
4.3
4.4 Technical Support
4.4 Technical Support

5. 評価
評価
(Evaluation)
Evaluation
5.1
5.1Evaluate
EvaluateLearner's
Learner'sReaction
Reaction
5.2
5.2Evaluate
EvaluateLearning
LearningEffectiveness
Effectiveness
5.3
5.3Evaluate
EvaluatePerformance
PerformanceImprovement
Improvement
5.4Evaluate
EvaluateBusinessBusinessImpact
Impact5.4

3.1
Develop
Storyboard
3.1 Develop
Develop Storyboard
Storyboard
3.1
3.2
Media
Production
3.2
3.2 Media
Media Production
Production

Source: ECC Website
Figure 3-2 Elements of Recommended Process for e-Learning Courseware Development

15

4. Government Policy and its Vision (Mid- and Long-term Direction)
4.1 Status of IT Policies
4.1.1 Overview
IT policies in Singapore have been started from "National Computerization Plan: NCP"
announced in 1980, followed by other policies with different goals, which were sequentially
unveiled and enforced.
Table 4-1 History of Main IT Related Policies in Singapore
Date

Descriptions
1980

National Computerization Plan

1981

Civil Service Computerization Programme

1986

National IT Plan

October 1992
June 1996
December 1998

IT 2000 Plan
Singapore-ONE Plan
High-speed internet service was started based on "Singapore-ONE Plan".

April 1999

Web site for online administrative service (e-Citizen Centre) was established.

June 1999

Basic plan was announced for "Infocomm 21".

December 1999

IDA (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore) was implemented.

March 2000

Policy to situate every citizen online.

March 2000

Policy to educate human resources.

April 2000

Policy to promote IT industry.

Source: various documents
Although NCP had a 10-year plan, the "National IT Plan", which was developed in 1986. It
was followed by "IT2000: Vision of an Intelligent Island" announced in 1992, to reveal anational concept for IT application. This plan, which aims to apply IT to social life and to allow
every citizen to access IT services, has specifically set objectives of (1) making Singapore a
global hub, (2) the promotion of economic evolution, (3) the enhancement of personalcapability, (4) local and international collaboration between different societies, and (5) the
improvement of the quality of daily life.
As a project to achieve these objectives, Singapore-ONE plan was announced in 1996. This
plan aimed to connect all households, schools, and public/private facilities through a networkof leading technology to enable a large amount of information communication.
Although "IT2000 Plan" announced in 1992 was initially scheduled to finish in 2005,"Infocomm 21" was additionally announced in 1999 because of the necessity for new policy tocope with rapidly advancing information communication in the world.

4.1.2 Policies and its Details(1) "Information and Communications Technology for the 21st Century (Infocomm 21)"
"Infocom 21" is a policy to make Singapore the global information communication hub
before 2010. Unlike traditional IT policies, this policy confines itself to abstract contents withan intention to indicate strategic frame and orientation for industry that will be updated
periodically depending on changes made in technological or economic society.
Its particular objectives are the following three actions:- To establish an ICT department playing the primary role in economic evolution.
- To employ ICT as a common platform to expand an intellectual-intensive economy.
- To improve personal living quality in the future information society.

16

The following are six basic strategies to achieve the above objectives:- To make itself an information communication hub in the Asia Pacific region- To “dot-com” the private sector- To “dot-com” the public sector- To “dot-com” the people sector- To be a talent capital of information and communication- To work out policies/regulation for enterprises involved and consumers
The government has announced specific policies based on the above strategies. Eachpolicy, having its own particular objectives, takes into consideration all related factors
including the development of industry, enterprise, technology, market, infrastructure, andhuman resources, the commitment to policies/regulations, the collaboration in leadership,
education, and strategy, and international cooperation. Planning and enforcing thesepolicies are not dependent on a single governmental organization, but are conducted jointly
by each concerned organization from both government and civil society.
Policies which were specifically implemented under "Infocomm 21" plan are as follows:
Table 4-2 Specific Policies of "Infocomm 21"
Date

PolicyOverview

March 2000

Policy to situate every
citizen online.

Policy aiming at offering most recent technology to those people
from lower income class or who do not speak English.

March 2000

Policy to educate humanresources.

Policy to educate 250,000 of human resources which will be
probably required in 2010.

April 2000

Policy to promote IT
industry.

Policy to implement synchronous broad area multi-media industry,
to help IT industry grow to Singapore's primary developing one.

June 2000

E-government action plan.

Policy to implement IT in governmental services/internal
procedures to become a leader of knowledge intensive economy.

June 2000

Policy to convert industry
into a dot-com.

Policy to make Singapore a global IT hub. Its aims include
establishment of e-business foundation, promotion of implementing
IT in industry, stimulation of consumer demands, education of IT
human resources, elimination of digital divides, etc.

Source: Created in reference to Web site of NTT Singapore Pte. Ltd.
4.2 E-Learning Related Measures as Part of IT or Educational Policies
4.2.1 Overview
The objective of policies relating to IT in Singapore is to reinforce national competitivenessthrough improvement of productivity resulting from increased opportunities for employment.
Especially, the targets that are aimed at specifically through e-Learning are (1) the
development and quality of human resources/technology, (2) the penetration of life-longlearning, (3) the promotion of moving to a digital economy, (4) the contribution to growth ofservice industries, etc.
IDA worked out a five-year strategic plan, "Infocomm 21", for technical fields in April 2000,
and considered a practical promotion policy in cooperation with each related organization
based on the following five slogans:(1) Singapore as premier infocomm hub (development of IT industry)(2) Singapore business online (dot-coming the private sector)(3) Singapore government online (dot-coming the public sector)(4) Singaporeans online (dot-coming the people sector)(5) Singapore as infocomm talent capital17

Issues most directly related to IT human resources, among the above slogans are,"Singaporeans online" and "Singapore as infocomm talent capital".
As for the former, it is hoped that 70% of students and adults will use information
communication technology in daily life before 2002, and that 80% of all the population will
have literacy in information communication to become one of the top five information
communication nations in the world before 2005.
As for the latter, it is planned that 35% of the working population will have basic knowledge
on information communication before 2003, and that 136,000 of human resources will beavailable. More specifically, under the control of IDA and MOM to promote basic IT education,"National Literacy Programme" is under way, which may be referred to as a national IT literacy
education plan. In general perspective, 5 billion Singapore dollars have been funded for thelife-long education program, the college and vocational education facilities to be established,
and the partnership program between government and civil society to educate people havingbasic knowledge of information communication and/or to increase the number of information
communication human resources as well as to develop their capabilities.
Prior to this, a human resource development strategy, "Manpower 21", was announced by
MOM in August 1999. This is a long-term and comprehensive human resource development
strategy aiming at realizing an "economy based on knowledge and having superior
international competitiveness", which represents the image of Singapore in the 21st century
suggested by the Committee On Singapore's Competitiveness.
Six major issues are described below:(1) Integration of human resource plans (completing human resource information systems
and national human resource council)(2) Lifelong learning to ensure lifelong employment (lifelong learning school, national skill
certification system, One-Stop Career Centres)(3) Completing a talent pool in Singapore (refreshing guidelines for policies on invitation to
Singapore and workers from abroad)(4) Reforming the working environment (improvement of professionalism in industry relyingon Singapore as its foundation and global level practice of human resources)(5) Development of energetic human resource industry (establishing global level researchand development organizations)(6) Partnership (enhancing collaborations among government, employers, and employees)
MOE takes responsibility for human resource training in school education, and has
developed a practical policy focusing on the following issues, based on "Masterplan for IT in
Education" announced in April 1997:(1) To reinforce connections between school and society.
(2) To implement innovative processes.
(3) To improve creative thinking, lifelong learning, and awareness for social liability.
(4) To enhance administration and management of educational systems.
Foreign IT engineers are under intensive demand because domestic IT human resources
are not enough in number due to the rapid growth of need for IT human resources. According
to "Infocomm Manpower and Skills Survey 1999" announced by IDA, approximately 5,000
engineers are recruited each year. The countries in which engineers originate include
Malaysia (51%), India (16%), and China (12%) in descending order.
Contact Singapore (http://www.contactsingapore.org.sg/) is one of such typical activities that
invite workers from abroad. In this particular activity, information on job offerings fromdomestic enterprises is released on a Website, to inform details to those who seek jobs in
Singapore, including foreign engineers and students as well as Singapore citizens living
abroad. This site also accepts applications for job offerings.

18

These governmental policies have encouraged higher educational organizations to enhancecooperation with foreign counterparts, preventing domestic students from moving out of theirhome country as well as inviting foreign human resources to Singapore. "SMA Project" is atypical example of such activities. This kind of cooperation allows for more sophisticated andadvanced lectures to be offered, resulting in the elimination of necessity for students to learn
abroad and the attraction of students from various Asian countries to Singapore.
IDA has established Infocomm Training Framework (ITF) composed of five levels to satisfy
the needs for information communication technology training, based on individual levels of
public sector, civil sector, and the general public. Programs are organized in such a way thateach level is covered, from obtaining of basic computer literacy to acquisition of technology
required of information communication human resource.
The following are examples of programs taking advantage of e-Learning:(1) "Strategic Manpower Conversion Programme (SMCP)"SMCP" is a strategic human resource conversion program developed mainly for people
with higher educational backgrounds, in accordance with the objective, "to develop
manpower as a globally competitive advantage in knowledge economy", defined within"Manpower 21". The MOM's Manpower Development Assistant Scheme (MDAS) fund wasused by IDA and MOM to start the program in information communication industry in April
2000, and in the e-Learning field in April 2001.
In "Information SMCP", human resources from non-information communication fields are
expected to learn information communication technology, and the government sharescourse fees for personal training that are useful in joining the information communicationindustry.
"E-Learning SMCP", on the other hand, has been developed to educate humanresources who create e-Learning solutions, in view of the fact that e-Learning has been
evolved into an alternative measure for training. Its objective is to first develop guidelines for
e-Learning, and then educate 150 creators of e-Learning guidelines to implement them andto satisfy their criteria. The targets are college graduates and those who obtained college
degrees having experience in educational fields. Basically, this is intended to be an
employee-based program, to allow for subsidy for training courses or bounty for training
costs, in case of sending existing staff into training courses when the staff is assigned to adifferent department, or in case of registering new staff with reshuffle courses.
(2) "National IT Literacy e-Learning Program (e-NITLP)""e-NITLP" is an e-Learning program controlled by IDA, which improves living standards orworkers' employment conditions by acquiring basic computer knowledge and Internet skills.
Under the administration of IDA and MOM, 3 million Singapore dollars will be raised for
350,000 people for three years (this started from 2001). Its target is adults, housewives, andsenior citizens, and the time taken for one course is approximately two hours.
(3) "e-Learning Early Adopters Programme (e-LEAP)""e-LEAP" is a program developed by IDA, aiming to encourage enterprises to takeadvantage of e-Learning. This program supports enterprises that implement e-Learning,with respect to the initial implementation costs in accordance with a specific guideline. In
principle, up to 50% (upper limit is 100,000 Singapore dollars) of the initial implementation
costs are subsidized, which may be spent on consulting fees for implementation,purchasing costs of hardware/software, customization of courseware and e-Learning
applications, development costs, contracts with ASP, etc. To apply this program, anenterprise should have officially registered in Singapore, and should create an
implementation plan, which conforms to at least one of the following three guiding principles.

19

- Encourage Adoption of e-Learning as part of the company's training culture.
- Foster Development of Capability of skills related to e-Learning among employees.
- Bestow a Best-Practices approach to support the company's e-Learning strategy and plans.

4.2.2 Policies and its Details
Overview is described focusing on "Masterplan for IT in Education".
(1) "Masterplan for IT in Education"
http://www1.moe.edu.sg/iteducation/masterplan/welcome.htm
In Singapore, a program was started aiming at computer literacy to be obtained andcomputer science to be learned in the 1970s. Initially, it was operated mainly to offer
opportunities to make access to computers as extracurricular activities, but gradually moved
towards more detailed contents and more comprehensive targets. Between 1995 and 1997,
MOE created experimental initiative to implement ICT technology into an educational scene.
Three major initiatives are as follows:(a) "Accelerating the Use of IT in Primary Schools (AITP)
Program to promote utilization of computers through all curriculums.
(b) "Student's and Teacher's Workbench (STW)
Program to promote integration of multimedia resources.
(c) "JCNet projects"
Program to find internet-based education methods for schools prior to colleges.
In view of these initiatives, "Masterplan for IT in Education" was developed in April 1997
as a comprehensive program to implement ICT technology within educational scene. The
MOE Web site indicates that this Masterplan aims to show the future image of IT used inschools, as well as to substantiate environments with abundant IT resources.
Specific objectives of master plan are comprised of the following 4 items:(a) To reinforce collaboration between schools and society
An interchange and collaboration between teachers/students and other organizations
are promoted, enabling a broader view to be obtained.
(b) To implement innovative processes
New educational strategy is developed to seek new possibilities for curriculums andevaluation. Each school can independently take advantage of IT resources, allowing new
school designs to be achieved to using IT effectively in educational scenes.
(c) To improve creative thinking, lifelong learning, and awareness for social liability
Students make progress in developing flexible thinking and creativity through IT-basedlearning, resulting in the promotion of interchange and the collaboration of a healthierappreciation of values.
(d) To enhance administration and management of educational system
Efficiency in management and communication activities is improved through the usageof IT, to facilitate more efficient educational management.
To achieve the above objectives, the following four items are thought to be important:(a) Creation of curriculum, method of its evaluation, and criteria(b) Development of learning resources(c) Training of teachers(d) Establishing physical and technical infrastructure

20

MOE has decided to budget 5 billion Singapore dollars for the implementation of it’smaster plan for 5 years, and to establish Educational Technology Division (ETD) to starteducation, 10% of which is based on IT using one PC per 6.6 pupils in primary schools, aswell as to start 10% IT-based curriculum using one PC per 5 students in secondary schools
and junior colleges. The initial budget shared by each school consists of 1.3 million
Singapore dollars for elementary education, 2 million Singapore dollars for secondary
education, and 2.2 million Singapore dollars for junior colleges. Thus, the implementation
plan is made up of three phases.
First phase:
22 primary and secondary educational organizations(10 primary educational institutions, 10 secondary educational institutions,and 2 junior colleges)
Second phase: 100 educational organizations
Third phase: 230 educational organizations

4.2.3 E-Learning Related Organizations
E-Learning activities in Singapore are situated centering on ECC. Other related entities arealso involved in the establishment and operation of ECC, and their collaborations are expanding.
(1) E-Learning Competency Centre (ECC)
http://www.ecc.org.sg/
ECC is a non-profit organization established in December 2001, being financed by IDA,
MOE, and the e-Learning Chapter of the Singapore Information Technology Federation(SITF), to introduce standard specifications into e-Learning in Singapore. When it wasestablished, computers and other items were donated by Sun Microsystems. Its office islocated in the premises of NIE.
ECC aims to implement international standards and improve competitiveness of
specialists to make Singapore an e-Learning hub in Asia Pacific region, and then to
promote the availability of effectiveness of e-Learning.
ECC is organized as follows:

NIE

Ex MGR
ECC

Training

Projects

Conformance

Steering
Committee

Business
Development

Administration

Source: L. K. Chew (2003.1), the document presented in "International Seminar on e-Learning 2003"
Figure 4-1 ECC Organization Structure

Currently, the Steering Committee is composed of delegates from NIE, MOE, IDA, andthe e-Learning Chapter of SITF, but it is planning to accept new members from bothgovernmental and civil organizations. The Executive Manager leads the operation of ECC,
and is responsible for reporting to the Steering Committee on overall activities.

21

ECC plays the following three major roles:(a) Accept and encourage usage of e-Learning standard specifications.
For this purpose, it attends various international conferences to act as a delegate fromSingapore.
(b) Organize seminars, talks, workshops, and publish online newsletters, for the purpose ofbroader public acknowledgement.
One of these activities is "World Standards Day". The persons concerned from various
countries are invited to conferences and seminars held around October each year, todiscuss standardization efforts for each field including e-Learning. Additionally, it hasestablished an "e-Learning clearinghouse (http://www.elearninghouse.com/)" anddeveloped "Plugfest" through cooperation with ITSC, to provide extensive e-Learning
information of Singapore and the Asian region.
"Plugfest" is an event concerning the standardization of e-Learning, where enterprises
engaged in e-Learning can show how they conform to international standards and show
the interoperability of their products. It is especially expected to play a role as a platform
for small and middle size enterprises in the domestic IT industry.
"PlugFest" for 2002 was held as an IMS-based e-Learning Plugfest during 20 days
from June 20 to July 10, which was attended by 10 enterprises. During this period, eachenterprise had its products tested at individual stages of Meta-data, Content Packaging,and Question & Test Interoperability, and vendors were awarded a certificate ofinteroperability if the operation on different e-Learning systems was successful withoutcausing any problems. The standards applied on this occasion were SingCORE Metadata Schema v1.0, IMS Meta-data Specification v1.2.2, IMS Content Packaging Specification
v1.1.3, and IMS QTI Lite Specification v1.2. ITSC's Certificate of Interoperability is highly
evaluated, and is used as the criteria for the creation of estimates by some organizations.
The next Plugfest will be held in 2003 focusing on SCORM.
(c) Establish guidelines and test methods to ensure that resources for e-Learning are notdependent on the platform and are re-usable in any e-Learning context.
Activities for this purpose include acquisition of approval for international standards
such as ISO9000, and the publishing of "Quality Criteria for e-Learning Courseware", or"Recommended Process for e-Learning Courseware Development."(2) Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING Singapore)
http://www.spring.gov.sg/portal/main.html
This is an organization to coordinate various standardization programs at the national
level, not being limited only to the e-Learning field.
(3) Information Technology Standards Committee (ITSC)
http://www.itsc.org.sg/
ITSC is an industry-led organization promoting the implementation of technology
standards, established in 1990 under the authority of the Standards Council, members ofwhich are selected by SPRING Singapore. While ITSC is comprised of members who arevolunteers from the industry field, it is assisted by SPRING Singapore and IDA, and forms apart of the national information communication standardization program developed by
SPRING Singapore. Implementation of the standards criteria recommended by ITSC isentirely voluntary. In some cases, however, the criteria are referenced by an administrative
organ, and its implementation may be made obligatory.
The Standards Council appoints the Chair of ITSC and its tenure is three years. The chairof ITSC is also a member of the Standards Council. Secretariat of ITSC is IDA.
ITSC Council members are comprised of representatives from parties involved(governmental organization, IT industry field, and specialized, educational, and researchorganizations), aiming at the promotion of standardization in Singapore.

22

ITSC aims at encouraging Singapore to join activities in developing standards criteria forinternational information communication through the promotion of a national information
communication standardization program, and currently commit itself to the implementationof Singapore Standards through the efforts of eight technology committees and its
subsidiary working groups. The number of specialists currently participating in ITSC
standardization activities is as many as 250 from 180 organizations.
Within ITSC, the Learning Standards Technical Committee (LSTC) handles activities
related to e-Learning. This committee is comprised of governmental officers, enterprises
engaged in e-Learning, and representatives from higher educational institutions, and they
are responsible for monitoring international trends of e-Learning standards, promoting theuse of relevant e-Learning standards in Singapore, and recommending the development ofreference systems. Two working groups, which are subsidiary to the committee, handle eLearning standards and continuous education/training.
LSTC plans to integrate Specification for e-Learning Framework (SeLF) into Singapore
Standard for e-Learning, and has released Part 1 and 2 in 2001, and Part 3 and 4 in 2002
from among all nine parts.
The structure of SeLF will be organized as follows:Part 1: An overview
Part 2: Learning resource identification
Part 3: Learner profile
Part 4: Competency definitions
Part 5: Learning content packaging
Part 6: Assessment & progress tracking
Part 7: eBook
Part 8: Enterprise integration
Part 9: Digital rights management

4.3 Laws Regulating Rights for Intellectual Property and Personal Information in e-Learning
4.3.1 Overview
According to the Website of Ministry of Law, intellectual property administration in
Singapore is a primary commitment of the Ministry, and intellectual property rights are
regarded as important "properties" as Singapore is changing to a knowledge-based society.
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore and Copyright Tribunal play a central role forprotection.
Singapore is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), WTO
Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs), and the Berne
Convention. However, its protection for intellectual property rights is not sufficient in view ofglobal standards, leaving challenges to be addressed.

4.3.2 Laws and its Details
Copyright act: Enacted in 1987 with assistance from the USA. It was formerly based on
British copyright laws of 1911.
In current copyright act, computer programs are protected as an object covered by the
copyright law.
Article 17: "Under the Singapore Copyright Act, reproduction of a work in a material form isdefined to include storage of the work, or an adaptation of the work a) in a computer, or b) on
any medium by electronic means and the making of a copy which is transient or is incidental
to some other use of work."

23

Article 26 (1) (c): Defines copyright licensing of computer programs.
Article 39 (1): Deals with creation of backup copy of computer program.
It is reported that there has been no judicial precedent as of 2000 regarding programming
language, interface protocol, and algorithm.

4.4 Vision
4.4.1 Overview
According to IDA, e-Learning policies in Singapore are being progressed focusing on thefollowing four issues:- To establish infrastructure- To invite to Singapore global level e-Learning service providers- To encourage collaboration among industry, government, and academic society todevelop and implement e-Learning programs- To collaborate with civil society to promote e-Learning services
Factors preventing e-Learning from progressing that are recognized by IDA include
shortages of knowledge/experience, funds, infrastructure, and contents, in addition toreluctance (to implement e-Learning) on the part of enterprises.
Therefore, IDA has developed a strategy for domestic e-Learning promotion focusing on
three objectives: establishment of infrastructure, development of e-Learning, and innovative
leadership.
The following issues are specifically defined as activities (objectives):(1) Establish an e-Learning infrastructure project across industry to enable its extensive
implementation.
(2) Develop financial incentives to encourage the introduction of e-Learning to corporate ororganizational education.
Example: e-Learning Early Adopters Programme (e-LEAP)(3) Raise funds when starting the business.
Example: Start up Enterprise Development Scheme (SEEDS) by Economic Development
Board (EDB)(4) Support the development of domestic enterprises through projects, collaborations, andinternational deployments.
(5) Invite world-class enterprises to establish local organizations.
(6) Develop and evolve e-Learning in the context of instructional design and multimedia
technology.
Example: Strategic Manpower Conversion Programme (SMCP)
Critical Infocomm Technology Resource Programme (CITREP)(7) R&D of e-Learning applied into learning models or environments which are innovative interms of pedagogy.
(8) Establish ECC.
- To promote e-Learning application, improve awareness, and promote actual usage.
- To develop e-Learning standards criteria and improve interoperability.
- To specialize e-Learning and grant certificate to systems and contents.
(9) Develop a framework appropriate to create incentives which are useful to promotebroader usage of e-Learning for technology training and improvement.
Example: e-Learning Training Incentive Programme (e-TIP)

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4.5 International and National Conference
Conferences that were held on e-Learning include the following:(1) "Online Learning Asia"- Date: May 14-16, 2002
This was first held in 2001, and second conference was held in 2002. In the second
conference, the number of attendants was considerably fewer than expected, and therefore it
hasn’t been decided yet if another one will be held in 2003.

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